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Current Trends in Math and Science
1) Full Option Science Systems The Full Option Science Systems is a set of digital resources that aims at improving the teaching and learning of Science. This system was developed for Science lessons, and can be used both for the elementary and middle school levels. The purpose of (FOSS) is to engage students while guiding them through the scientific model. It guides students through observation, hypothesis and in generating ideas about the natural world that surrounds them. All of the lessons are directly aligned with the Common Core Standards. Another great feature of (FOSS) is that it provides teachers with lesson ideas, guides, videos, and experiment kits. The program is also designed to provide with different accommodations that will make the learning material more accessible for students that are English learners and students with special needs. The following has been retrieved fom: http://www.fossweb.com/foss-program 2) FOSS Program for Elementary FOSS Elementary (Third Edition) is a complete, modular program consisting of 20 modules for self-contained elementary classrooms. The components exclusive to the Elementary Program are FOSS Elementary Teacher Toolkit consisting of: Investigations Guide. This spiral-bound document contains these chapters: Overview Materials Investigations Assessment Teacher Resources ' This document contains these chapters:' FOSS Introduction Science Notebooks (for Grades K–2 or for Grades 3–6) Science-Centered Language Development Taking FOSS Outdoors FOSSweb and Technology Science Notebook Masters (for grades 1–6) Teacher Masters Assessment Masters FOSS Science Resources book. A copy of the student book of readings that are integrated into the instruction. ' Equipment Kit' The FOSS Program provides the materials needed for the investigations, including metric measuring tools, in sturdy, front-opening drawer-and-sleeve cabinets. Inside, you will find high-quality materials packaged for a class of 32 students. Consumable materials are supplied for two uses. Classroom set of FOSS Science Resources Books FOSS Science Resources are books of original readings developed to accompany each module. The readings are referred to as articles in the Investigations Guide. Students read the articles in the book as they progress through the module. The articles cover a specific concept, usually after that concept has been introduced in an active investigation. FOSS for Middle School consists of nine courses for students and their teachers in departmental science grades 6–8. Each course is an in-depth unit requiring 9–12 weeks to teach. The Middle School Program includes the following interconnected components: ' FOSS Middle School Teacher Toolkit consisting of:' Investigations Guide. This spiral-bound document contains these chapters: Overview Materials Investigations Teacher Resources. This three-ring binder contains these chapters: FOSS Middle School Introduction Assessment Science Notebooks in Middle School FOSSweb and Technology Science Notebook Masters Teacher Masters Assessment Masters Notebook Answers FOSS Science Resources book. A copy of the student book of readings that are integrated into the instruction. Equipment Kit The FOSS Program provides the materials needed for the investigations in sturdy, front-opening drawer-and-sleeve cabinets. Inside, you will find high-quality materials packaged for five classes of 32 students. Consumable materials are supplied for one use for all five classes. Classroom set of FOSS Science Resources Books FOSS Science Resources are books of original readings developed to accompany each course. Students read the articles in the book as they progress through the course. The articles cover a specific concept, usually after that concept has been introduced in an active investigation. Online Multimedia The middle school online multimedia provides students with the opportunity to access and interact with simulations, images, video, and text—multimedia that can enhance their understanding of science concepts. Different sections of multimedia are incorporated into each investigation during the courses. 3) Flexible Grouping Grouping is an effective trend of differentiated instruction. Grouping the students in different ways for different lessons helps them increase their academic performance (Grimes and Stevens, 2009). There are several ways students can be grouped including in small groups of similar learning styles and levels, small groups of different styles and levels, one-on-one partners with similar or different learning styles and levels, individually, or as a whole class. This can be further flexible by having the groups sometimes chosen by the teacher and sometimes chosen by the student, or randomly. '4) Continual Assessment ' Formative assessments work best for daily evaluations. These can include journal entries, observation, problem of the day, conversations with students, and exit cards. Teachers need to record the data they find from these continual formative assessments and decide their next step for students.